Improvement in buildings for cremation purposes



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. ERNST. Building for Cremation Purposes.

No. 222,260. Patented Dec. 2, 1879.

INVENTOR WITNESS ATTORNEYS N PETERS. PHDTO-LHHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. u C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. ERNST. Building for Cremation Purposes. No. 222,260. Patented Dec.2,1879.

INVENTOR BY W TORNEYS.

N.FEIERS. PNOTO UTHOGRAPHER. WA$HING7ON. u c.

U ITED/STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO ERNST, OF SOUTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUILDINGS FOR CREMATION PURPOSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,260, dated December'2, 1879; application filed March 6, 1879.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO ERNST, of South Amboy, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Buildings for Cremation Purposes, of whichv the followingis a specification.

The invention consists in a certain construction of chimney-top withconnecting ventilating chamber and flues, the latter inclosingsmokeflues, as an improvement in a building and furnacefor cremationpurposes.

The object of my invention is to associate the process of cremationwiththe usual practices at funerals; and the invention relates to thepeculiar arrangement and construction of cremationfurnaces, inconnection with a building or temple, as will be more particularlyexplained hereinafter, in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein-- Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the furnace-vaults andfurnaces on line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on lineas w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3 y of Fig. l ofthe "aults and building or tem-' ple. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detailviews.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The vault A willbe under ground, preferably of cruciform shape in itsground-plan, and one or more of the wings are to be used for furnaces,as shown at B, the other parts of the vault to be used for storage offuel and other purposes. The vault A is to be provided withventilating-shafts a, and will be accessible by an entrance, I), atoneside on a level with the ground, if there is sufficient slope, orby-steps, in any desired manner.

The building or temple U is built above the vault A, and is of anornamental character and in keeping with its intended uses. I prefer tobuild the same of octagonal form, with an inclosed ground-floor, and anupper open space covered by a roof that is supported on hollow columns0, rising from the groundfloor inside the inclosure. Theohimney d risesfrom the center ofthe roof, and is built to have an appearance as unlikeas possible to an ordinary chimney or stack. The flues e of the furnacespass through thecolumns c to the chimney, and the ventilating-openingsa, of the vault and of the inclosed floor communicate with the columns.The columns copen at the top into an inclosed space, f, in the roof,whichcommunicates by suitable openings with the chimney. By that meansthorough ventilation is secured in all parts of the building.

In the center of the ground tloor is an opening, g, communicating with"the vault below, through which openings the coffins may be lowered, asinto a grave. The object of this construction is to give space andopportunity for the usual service to giving up the body to be burned,when such public services are desired, and to follow, asfar as possible,the usual forms. I

In the case of private funerals the coffin can be delivered at the doorb.

It will be understood that thebuilding will be adorned by statuaryforms, &c., as taste may require.

I do not limit myself to any particular construction for the furnaces B.They will preferably be constructed of brick,with the tirebox h andcremation-chamberqdsurrounded by a space filled with non-conductingmaterial, as at k, thatis inclosed by the outer wall.

The cremation chamber is above the firespace, and communicates with thefines c by an opening, I. v Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent receptacles forreceiving the ashes of the body or any particular part thereof. Thesereceptacles are made of fireproof clay, and in use will be placed insidethe coffin, under or around the body or parts of it. Fig. 4 is areceptacle adapted for the whole body, Fig. 5 for the head, and Fig.6for a hand or arm.

By the above-described construction and arrangement the usual formsconnected with burials may be fully observed and carried out, and theprocess of cremation divested of its repugnant features.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a buildingfor a cremation-furnace, a

smoke-stack or chimney, d, connecting with columns serving as passagesfor the furnacethe furnace by flues e, and. with vanlt-ventifines and asventilating-shafts, substantially lators by means of pillars c andchamber f, as described and shown.

all arranged as shown and described. OTTO ERNST.

2. The cremation building or temple C, hav- Witnesses: ing an inclosedground-floor, a roof support-ed. GEO. D. NALKER,

by hollow columns 0, and a chimney, d, the 0. SEDGWICK.

